My Weekend Crush

For all the innumerable sins Ryan Murphy has committed against television, his one hope for salvation is the gainful employment of Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange all in one show. (There’s also Sarah Paulson, but I feel sure she would have been snapped up by someone else smart soon enough.) It’s hard to think of another show that employs so many Oscar-nominated women over the age of 55 in starring and non-grandmotherly roles. Think very hard. Yeah, like I said, it’s hard.

Of those three very, very talented ladies I really, really want Angela Bassett to shine this season. I was, quite frankly, underwhelmed by her role as Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau in “American Horror Story: Coven.” This was, of course, not her fault. The scripts gave her little more to do sometimes than cackle. Oh, but what a magnificent one it was. So now with “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” I hope against hope that Murphy and the powers that be will finally take full advantage of everything this woman can truly do. And, no, I am not referring to her three boobs...necessarily.

Hollywood has had a bit of a hard time deciding what to do with Angela over the years. Her brilliance grabbed you by the scruff of the neck and wouldn’t let go in movies like “Malcolm X,” “What's Love Got to Do with It” and “Waiting to Exhale.” I particularly liked her in badass mode in Kathryn Bigelow’s underrated “Strange Days.” But for every good role, there have been too many forgettable ones. “Mr. 3000,” “Green Lantern,” “Jumping the Broom.” What? Huh? Really? Of course, I don’t blame her for that either.

So now, with AHS: Freak Show, Hollywood has one more chance to do right by her. We know she is capable, but are they? We shall see. Happy weekend, all.

p.s. Just a reminder, this lady is 56 and still goddamn, goddamn.